


november poetry prompts

by antiv3nomarts



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, November Poetry Prompts, Poetry, more mediocre poetry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:40:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 3,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27329683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antiv3nomarts/pseuds/antiv3nomarts
Summary: a month of poetry prompts (prompts from my friend western-fence-lizard on tumblr), you can find the prompts here:november poetry prompts
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	1. new beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> today's prompt was "new beginnings"

I see your outer shell, but I know inside you are an array of fabrics.

For every interaction, every person, every place,

You take a new bolt off the shelf

Or one you’ve used before.

Maybe you were looking for one,

But used it up.

And you start anew.

You craft yourself a cloak,

A shield you can put up over your workshop.

Maybe a reliable cotton,

Or a colorful polyester,

Or a cashmere of the highest quality

(that we both know was more expensive than you could afford)

I can already imagine, when you saw me,

You took colors and patterns,

In the breathtaking spectacle I can see before me.

I know there is more beneath it, but I don’t care.

For whoever could make such a masterpiece as this contains multitudes.

Take me into your cloak, your shield,

Shelter me from the pouring rain,

Let me see all your fabrics for what they are,

Teach me how you make your personalities.

Maybe someday I can learn how to not pour out my heart on every stranger on the street

Or even craft a perfect identity to fit you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again, you can find the prompts here: [november poetry prompts](https://western-fence-lizard.tumblr.com/post/633472884012105728/whats-wiggling-worms-here-is-my-november-prompt)  
> my good friend edil is doing this challenge as well, you can see their poetry [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27334309/chapters/66785656).


	2. angry wasps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's prompt was "angry wasps"

Here come the wasps, every one enraged,

Just because I touched their hive.

I should have known better than to try and take it down

Without any gloves

So the colony exits their home,

Swarming right in front of me,

And begin their stinging assault

I try and try to swipe them away from my body

But every swing just beckons more

I’m so tired of all of this,

I know I should have just called an exterminator

But I’m ashamed that I can’t help myself.

“How could you let this happen?” They ask in my mind.

So I just sit and take it,

Hoping I won’t die

And awaiting the end of the attack.


	3. something having to do with your identity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's prompt was "something having to do with your identity."

I am not who I used to be.

I am not my gender assigned at birth.

I am not a girl. (Biologically I am,

But not mentally.)

I am not a boy. (Even though that would be easier

Than having to explain myself every time

I say my gender out loud.)

I am not unbroken.

I am not as broken as some.

I am not a small child.

I am not completely helpless.

What I am is tired,

And complicated,

And full of love to be spent.

I am not only a being to be put in a box.

Some of me cannot be described.

I only wish you sit and bear with me

When I try to understand it myself.


	4. "i'm worried about you"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's prompt was "i'm worried about you"

“I’m worried about you,” you say,

You think I lock myself away,

And hide from the rest of the world.

You’re not quite right, I’ve got a whole world

Right in my hands (or sometimes on my desk)

And I have all these people to connect with

Even if they’re online

“I’m worried about you,” you say,

Your goals have been laid out,

But mine are different.

I like this a lot, but you want me to go back.

It’s not permanent,

But it sure as hell is better than it used to be.

And I’m scared to go back because what if

It gets worse again?

“I’m worried about you,” you say,

Constantly worrying,

But I’m worried too.

I know you do it out of love,

But it can feel a bit suffocating,

Right when I thought I was getting better,

You come to me and say “I’m worried about you.”


	5. jerusalem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's prompt was "jerusalem."

“And we turn east to Jerusalem,”

I can see the rain starting,

I try to tell you but we stay outside,

And we get soaked.

I told you, but we stayed.

So I didn’t tell you next time.

It started raining and I could see it

But if you wouldn’t listen

What was the point?

My bat mitzvah was coming

(Although now I’d call it a b’nai mitzvah

Because that’s better than being a girl)

And I could see the rain

But my sister never got any,

Or if she did, she stood there anyways.

And I stood to Jerusalem then,

Tired of looking to a place I’d been told was better

But one I would never get to.

So I turn my back on Jerusalem,

I turn my back on the Ark

And move to my own home inside myself,

And I don’t need Jerusalem to make me whole.


	6. cooking as a form of affection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's prompt was "cooking as a form of affection."

You always say that love shouldn’t be based on food,

And I understand why you say that,

But why is it on the best nights 

We have the best meals?

Why is it that when you yell at me,

Those are the nights we have rushed meals,

We have overcooked, undercooked, strangely cooked food?

I doubt you do it on purpose but

It still makes me think of good food as the sign of a good day.

Hopefully I’ll be able to provide good food every day,

For you or for someone else

Or a few somebody elses.

While I may not always have a good day,

I’ll make a good meal for people to come home to

Or to stay home to

Or maybe just to go out to.

And it’ll be like that every day,

Not just the good days,

Because rain and snow are always better

With a hot meal inside.


	7. adam and eve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's prompt was "adam and eve," today i wrote a song (sadly i dont have the melody written down but here ya go)

If you are my Adam then I’ll be your Eve,

When the serpent comes it’s me who’ll be deceived.

The juice of the apple will drip down my chin,

And the snake will just leave, it will not pierce my skin.

Will you come with me, will you take the fall?

For something that was not your own fault at all?

Will I be alone in the hellscape outside of the wall?

If you are my Adam then I’ll be your Eve,

Oh how it beckons, with its glistening leaves,

Its fruits are all ripe and its call I can hear,

Or is that the snake whispering in my ear?

Will you come with me, will you take the fall?

For something that was not your own fault at all?

Will I be alone in the hellscape outside of the wall?

Well I’m done being good and I’m done being nice,

I’ve followed the rules, now I’m rolling the dice,

If knowledge is power, then I’ll take the throne,

But the stairs break beneath me, the fall breaks my bones.

I’ll drag you down with me, you will take the fall!

For something that you could have stopped, I recall!

I will not be alone in this hellscape outside of the wall!

If you are my Adam then I’ll be your Eve,

I took you down with me, do not be deceived,

My actions cannot be downplayed or forgotten,

The snake made me bite the only apple that was rotten.

But the serpent wasn’t the only one here to blame,

I answered the tree when it called out my name,

I didn’t ignore it or walk away,

And we may not live to see one more day.


	8. smoke signals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's prompt was "smoke signals."

I can see you up in the sky,

Can you see me?

I’ve spelled help in leaves on the sand

And I’m sending up smoke signals 

From my small deserted island.

You know, this isn’t all that bad,

This island had a small fresh lake to drink from

And fresh fruit for me to eat,

I’m sure others have had it worse.

Maybe you should go find someone else to rescue.

Do I even deserve to be saved?

It doesn’t really matter now though,

Since the leaves have been set,

The smoke is already rising.

Could I blind your view?

Or would my weight be too much for you to bear?

Could I send you crashing down with me

To your own inevitable death?

Maybe you should just ignore me.

Although I do need to be saved,

And your vessel is made for saving,

You don’t need to let me on,

You don’t need to follow the smoke.


	9. free space I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there was no prompt for today, but i promised myself that i'd write a poem every day this month, so you get this one!

I remember the last time I went strawberry picking,

It was early and the sun was in my eyes,

And I didn’t really want to be there.

But then I tasted my first strawberry of the season,

And it was sweet and juicy and warm and perfect.

I’ve longed to go strawberry picking again since then,

But we always have to go so early,

So my family leaves while I’m still asleep or at least drowsy,

And I don’t get that first taste.

Every year I miss out on that feeling is another year I yearn for it.

Maybe someday I’ll go strawberry picking with a friend,

Or with a classmate,

Or with you,

And I’ll get that taste again

And maybe it won’t live up to that last one,

But it’ll be real

And it’ll be mine

And I won’t miss it again.


	10. bark, dog, bark!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's prompt was "bark, dog, bark!" 
> 
> warning for reference to violence.

I bark and I bark and I told I’m no bite

But really you just straightened and filed my teeth

And yet you yell at me when I let someone in the house

But how am I going to protect us

If everyone knows I’ll only make noise

And I won’t do anything?

I  _ want _ to do something,

I want to bark my lungs up

I want to bite your throat out,

But I know that won’t do any good.

How would I survive without you?

All the other owners would treat me just as badly.

At least you feed me every day.

“If we have a home invader one day,

I’m going to be silent and submissive to them,

So they might kill you,” is what I always think,

But then again,

Isn’t a little something better than absolutely nothing?


	11. infallible friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's prompt was "infallible friend," this one's shorter than usual.

I’d like to be the infallible friend,

Just like I’d like to do everything else right.

I could always feel what I’m supposed to,

Always know what I need to,

Never forget what I’m doing,

And always finish what I’ve started.

But I know that I make mistakes.

It makes me feel like a failure,

Despite how I know that

“Mistakes make us better,”

And “No one’s perfect.”

Something inside of me always says,

“But you have to be.”


	12. 25 hour diner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's prompt was "25 hour diner,"

I’ll be open 25 hours a day for you dear,

I’ll be here to hear your problems and pleas,

I’ll be here to give you comfort and joy,

Or just a person to talk with.

I’ll be open 8 days a week for you dear,

As the more time I spend with you,

The better I understand you,

And the closer I feel to you.

I’ll be a safe haven for you dear,

A soft landing after a hard flight,

A covering after a stormy night,

And a place for you to give what you like and take what you need.


	13. bug collector

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's prompt was "bug collector,"

When I was little, I wasn’t the most bug-friendly.

Sure, I’d let ladybugs and butterflies

Crawl around and tickle my hands,

But if I saw a spider

Or a mosquito

I’d scream and run for my mom to kill it.

I’m still not the best about it,

I joke that I have a treaty.

As long as they stay out of the shower, tub, and sink,

I’ll catch and release.

Break the treaty,

And it’s right back to calling mom

(although this time with less screaming).

I hope to one day save every bug,

Every spider or fly or beetle I come across,

But I’m still scared of them.

I really, really hope

I can learn to love the thing

I’ve been taught to fear

And the thing I’ve feared so long.


	14. honey and milk flavored soap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's prompt was "honey and milk flavored soap,"

Milk and honey used to clean me,

Providing me an anchor

At the end of a long, hard day,

When I needed to relax.

Over time, I got sick of the scent,

The overly sweet tinge that stayed

And hung around my nose

Every time I got out of the shower.

I think, for a time,

I convinced myself I was allergic.

And now I realize, I was just so,

_ So _ tired of that smell.

Now I smell of lavender or sweet peas,

My own identity that I’ve chosen,

And while I don’t hate milk and honey,

It doesn’t have to be me anymore.


	15. write something about your love language

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's prompt was "write something about your love language,"

My love language was something even I didn’t know,

Not until I met you.

Before, I would just sit away and wonder

If he saw me

Or if she liked me back

Or if they were even into people like me.

But this time, I knew I wasn't alone in my feelings,

So I’m learning things.

I’d send you memes or playlists,

Poetry or songs,

Or even just pictures of my cats,

And to me, that meant I love you

(Although I say that a lot as it is.)

So thank you for letting me discover my language,

For accepting my love in all its forms, 

For giving me your own love,

For dealing with me finding out how I give my love,

And for being you.


	16. "out to get you"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's prompt was "out to get you," i actually made a kind of golden shovel poem, so pay attention to the last words of each line.

Every single day I run and I run

Going as fast as I can, trying to get away

Even though I know there’s nothing they’re

Trying to do to me, I think I might be out

Of my mind. I try to

Fix myself constantly but perfection is impossible, but I try to get

There, but I always wonder, what if they really  _ are _ out to get you?


	17. skeletons in the corner of your basement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's prompt was "skeletons in the corner of your basement,"

There was no room for any skeletons in my closet,

Except for mine (it was still inside me),

So our skeletons would go into the attic.

We still go up there from time to time to store things,

But I try my best not to look at

The terrible things I’ve done

Or the terrible things I am

Or the terrible things I’ve been through.

I always know that they’re there,

And I’ll always find them again,

I know I can never forget,

But I sure as hell can try.


	18. blonde girl flowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's prompt was "blonde girl flowers,"

When I was little, I always wanted blonde hair.

I’d see pictures of pretty girls

Named Sarah or Becca and I’ll admit it,

I was jealous.

When I was smaller, I wanted straight hair.

Every time I got my hair cut,

I’d get it straightened,

And I’d never get big tangles in the morning.

I wanted to be one of these girls for the longest time,

Pretty and laying in a field of flowers,

With someone by their side to laugh with them.

But I’ve got me.

I’ve got my short hair,

Curly and not-quite-black,

And now I don’t want to be one of these girls.

I don’t want to be a girl.

Now I want to walk outside and not have someone call me she,

I want to go into a store and have people wonder,

“What pronouns do  _ they _ use?”

And I want to keep my hair short

And wear loose, baggy clothing

And bind my chest

But you can’t have everything, I guess.


	19. flayed and pure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's prompt was "flayed and pure," TWs for brief mentions of gore.

What must I do to be pure?

I know I have sinned,

Must I get rid of my past

Just to become whole?

What must I do to be pure?

I know I have wronged so many,

Must I cut them out 

Or say my apologies to all of them years later

Just to reach perfection?

What must I do to be pure?

I see these stretch marks I have been told are ugly,

Must I flay myself

Just to reach your standards?


	20. “I need to get out of here,” or bend and not break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's prompt was "I need to get out of here,"

I know I need to get out of my head,

I know, I know,

But I’m worried I’ll go out of my mind

If I let just a little bit go.

And sanity is better than

Losing all my ground,

But is sanity the word for this,

My brain running round and round

In circles inside my head

Not leaving me a moment to breathe,

Is dying of asphyxiation better than

Dying not knowing what anything means?

I know the walls are bending,

But they won’t crack on their own,

Just swell and fill and grow

Flesh pressing against bone,

But I will not crack, not yet,

And I will not spring a leak

I’ll continue to carry this weight

And not release so much as a squeak

Going out of my mind is scarier

Than just playing a scene

Over and over until I can’t bear it,

Or I tire myself out and just sleep.


	21. blood, bones, and breath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today's prompt was "blood, bones, and breath,"

I am made of blood,

Flowing and moving through my veins

It makes me feel

And helps me move

And although I can’t feel it through me

I know that it is there.

I am strengthened by bones,

Sturdy and unmoving

(except when I want them to)

They give me shape

They hold me upright

And I can press my skin to them to know they’re there.

I am sustained by breath,

My lungs take in what I need to live

And give out the excess for the world.

Although I cannot see it

Except on the coldest of days,

I can breathe in and out

And know it fills and feeds me.


	22. holy and wretched

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> todays prompt was "holy and wretched," this ones short and im not a big fan, but at least its something.

I am holy and I am wretched,

I make and I destroy,

I give and I steal,

I heal and I harm.

Does that mean,

in the grand scheme of things,

I’ve evened out to zero?

Am I simply a gap

Where a person should be?

Is there a place for vacuums

After we die,

Or do we become

The space around the stars?


	23. free space II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there was no prompt today, but i still wanted to write a poem, so here you go ^^

I always see us in a library,

Reading beside each other

Surrounded with candles and books

And comfortable silence.

I know you’re there but I don’t need to fill the space,

We have enough between us that it fills on its own.

I giggle, you ask me what I read.

I read a line from my book and you laugh too,

But I was really thinking about giving you light kisses on the nose

And holding you close to keep warm.

Or I see us stargazing,

Lying on a grassy hill away from the world,

The stars laid out between us.

We point out what we see

And make up constellations for each other.

I point out one that looks like a quill,

Another that looks like a tree,

Another that’s just a beautiful pattern.

And we share these stars and I dream

Of holding you tight,

Of never letting go.

We are as many as the books in a library,

As bright as the stars in the sky,

And more than that.

We create together

And we make ourselves more than just two.

We become as warm as an embrace,

As joyous as a candle flame,

As soft as the grass,

And we are us, my darling.

I could never ask for more.


	24. the poetry of a new religion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> todays prompt was "the poetry of a new religion,"

I don’t want a new religion,

But something has left

Once I abandoned my faith,

So let this poetry

Form something new,

Something I wish I had.

Your job is to love.

You don’t always have to love,

It comes and goes.

I know this, and you know this as well.

You can love however you wish.

Love yourself,

Love others.

Love with your body

Or your words

Or your spirit.

You are not broken for loving a certain way.

I know this, and you know this as well.

You may love whoever.

If you love them, they are loved.

If they love you, you are loved.

This is all that matters,

Not who is being loved.

I know this, and you know this as well.

Live by this and I am with you.


	25. [redacted]

today's prompt was deemed optional, and as i dont have any ideas, im not doing it today. you can find the link to the post confirming this [here](https://western-fence-lizard.tumblr.com/post/635814216456142848/none-of-us-can-think-of-what-to-write-for-todays). there'll be another poem tomorrow, for anyone who cares.


	26. your handwriting on the legal pad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> todays prompt was "your handwriting on the legal pad," im not a big fan of this one but its better than nothing.

On the first day of the class,

We got to take our very own legal pads.

I didn’t think I needed it,

Since I had a notebook already,

But then you took the first page

And you wrote on it.

It was just a little hello and a smile,

But I was enamored.

You had touched the paper,

Left your mark,

And I could look at it and think of you.

I don’t think I’ve ever forgotten that little scrawling

On the top of the pad.

Now when I go to sleep at night

I think of that little hello

And how pleased you looked after writing it

And how closely I clung to that pad of paper.

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget, and honestly?

I don’t think I want to.


	27. free space III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today was yet another free space

I’ve always been different than people expected.

Passionate about practically everything,

A girl in STEM,

A tomboy in dance class,

And you encouraged it.

You wanted me to go outside of the binary.

So why is it, when I made a third option this time,

You tell me to stay in line?

When I wanted to be

A person in STEM,

A person in dance class,

You tell me to stick to the truth?

Is there a truth to this, a box,

Other than the one I make?

**Author's Note:**

> once again, you can find the prompts here: [november poetry prompts](https://western-fence-lizard.tumblr.com/post/633472884012105728/whats-wiggling-worms-here-is-my-november-prompt)  
> my good friend edil is doing this challenge as well, you can see their poetry [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27334309/chapters/66785656).


End file.
